Instead of the top courtesan, I met the madam.
A middle-aged woman with a puffy figure walked down the stairs from the third floor, and a large black mole under her nose made a strong impression.
She first swayed her hips as she walked into the curtained area, bent down and whispered a few words to the top courtesan, and then walked outside the platform.
With a gentle smile, she curtsied to the audience and said, "I am deeply grateful for the daily visits of all of you gentlemen to our Chunshui Pavilion."
The audience quieted down considerably, with everyone tilting their heads back and straining their ears to listen to her speak.
Seeing everyone's cooperation, the madam perked up and even started to shudder.
"I have good news and bad news to share. Which would you like to hear?"
"..."
The audience was completely silent, and no one spoke to them, creating a slightly awkward atmosphere.
Jing Zhe stared at the madam, sneering inwardly: Who gave you the courage to think that everyone was looking up to you to support you?
Are they looking at the top star?
But a madam is a madam; she's seen it all. She just laughed off this embarrassing moment and continued talking to herself.
"The bad news is that our Wan'er is unwell and will not be able to meet with you all today. We hope you will understand!"
"What? Wan'er is unwell?"
"Where does it hurt? Is it serious?"
"We've waited all this time, and this is what you tell us?"
The scholars below instantly erupted in uproar. It seemed that they had spent the entire night sitting there just for the top courtesan, Wan'er, and now they were suddenly told that they couldn't see her anymore. How could they accept that?
But some people managed to remain calm and asked in a deep voice, "If the news is so bad, what can be considered good news?"
The madam glanced gratefully at the scholar who had spoken, thinking to herself that after waiting for so long, she finally had someone to cooperate with.
After giving a somewhat disgusting wink, he smiled and said, "The good news is naturally about Wan'er."
Downstairs, everyone held their breath, waiting for her to continue.
"I am deeply grateful for everyone's kindness to Wan'er, but I am also extremely humbled. I have been in this building for some time now, but I have not yet met anyone suitable. If anyone takes a liking to her, we can go upstairs for a chat tonight!"
Seeing everyone's solemn expressions, the madam continued with a smile, "In my opinion, if there is a young master who catches Wan'er's eye, it's not impossible that he could not only come upstairs for a chat, but also become Wan'er's intimate guest."
"Wow!!!"
These words caused another uproar in the hall.
Isn't this telling everyone that Miss Wan'er wants to find a good husband and leave Chunshui Tower?
Everyone's eyes lit up, they were eager and ready to try.
Only Jing Zhe could see the graceful figure inside through the curtain. When the madam spoke her last words, the figure swayed slightly, slowly stood up, and finally sat down again.
This young lady, Wan'er, seemed unwilling.
Jing Zhe stood there, lost in thought.
...
After the madam finished speaking, she stepped back to one side of the curtain, looking downstairs with a smile on her face.
Without a doubt, all the scholars and young masters will do everything in their power to win Wan'er's favor, and the hall will surely be bustling with activity.
The men in other sections also felt that the women beside them were no longer appealing, and they left their seats in twos and threes, coming to the middle of the hall to watch the drama unfold.
Seeing this, the madam's smile widened.
Although Chunshui Tower is the largest brothel in Yongzhou, it is still far inferior to the brothels in the bustling metropolises of Jingzhou. And once this incident spreads today, it will surely attract countless customers.
At that time, Chunshui Tower will become famous throughout Anguo!
Therefore, as long as Wan'er remains at Chunshui Tower, its popularity will remain high.
As for when someone I like will appear... well, that's up to me.
The madam snorted coldly, her smile widening.
"Young Master Lin is giving Miss Wan'er one hundred taels of silver!"
A servant shouted from the crowd, igniting the battle for the woman.
However, this simple and crude method of throwing money at people really angered a large group of intellectuals, and criticisms followed.
"Everyone who comes to Chunshui Tower knows that Miss Wan'er only likes poetry, lyrics, and music. What's a little silver?"
"That's right. What kind of person is Miss Wan'er? Wouldn't giving her money be an insult to her?"
"Vulgar, utterly vulgar! We scholars are ashamed to associate with them, ashamed to associate with them!"
Jing Zhe tilted his head to look and saw a frivolous young master in a fine robe sitting next to the servant who had been shouting about delivering silver. Hearing the scholars' accusations, he not only didn't get angry, but instead sneered and waved his hand at the servant.
"Young Master Lin has given Miss Wan'er another hundred taels of silver!"
"..."
Despite the resentment, this kind of spending spree at the drop of a hat is still quite enviable.
The madam's face lit up with joy. One hundred taels of silver—more than everyone present spent in a day. In just a short time, she had received two hundred taels. No wonder she was happy!
But she still said, "Young Master Lin, you know how much our Wan'er cares about money..."
"Young Master Lin will give Miss Wan'er another hundred taels of silver!"
"Young Master Lin, please wait a moment. I will go and ask Wan'er what she thinks!"
"..."
Watching the madam slip into the curtained room, the group of scholars felt as if they had swallowed flies.
So what happened to the promise that sending money was useless?
What happened to your promise that you don't care about money?
How could they have switched sides after only three hundred taels of silver?
If I had known it would turn out like this… Oh well, what good would it have done if I had known? If I had three hundred taels of silver, who would come here?
The scholars were dejected, but Young Master Lin, who had been silent until now, stood up.
"You need to have the money to give us!"
"Look at your poor, shabby appearance, you're nothing but stinking scholars!"
"I despise you scholars the most!"
"He boasts all day about how great he is, yet he can't write a single poem that Wan'er would even look at. How dare he call himself a scholar?"
Young Master Lin's words were sharp and incisive, hitting the nail on the head with every sentence. Although the scholars were angry, they couldn't find any points to refute him.
"Since when have people who rely on the blessings of their ancestors dared to speak so recklessly?"
Just then, a handsome man dressed in a white embroidered brocade robe and holding a folding fan stepped forward. His flamboyance was so great that even Jing Zhe could hardly match him.
"If Young Master Lin's father weren't the prefect, would you be able to casually throw out three hundred taels of silver today? And yet you mock scholars? Is there any justice in this world?"
After hearing his explanation, Jing Zhe realized that this generous young master Lin was actually Lin Wenyao, the son of a corrupt official. No wonder he looked so shifty and sneaky; he was definitely no good!
————
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